Air-relief valve



No. 6l8,904. Patented Feb. 7, I899. G. T. PRINCE.

AIR BELIEF VALVE.

(Application filed Nbv. 27, 1897.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES IN VENTOH ATTORNEY.

T NORRIS PETERS no. PHDYO-LITHO., WASHINGTON, n. c

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. PRINCE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

AIR-RELIEF VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,904, dated February'7, 1899. Application filed November 27, 1897. Serial No. 659,985.(No'model-l To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. PRINCE, residing at Omaha, in the countyof Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain usefulImprovements in Air-Relief Valves; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to an improvement in valves to provide anautomatic relief to be used in conjunction with water-mains or otherpipe system and is adapted to provide an automatic regulating mechanismby means of which the air collecting at the highest points may beallowed to escape.

In the furtherance of the aim of my invention I provide within anextension of the pipes and preferably at the highest point within thesystem one or more chambers, within which is suspended a pivoted leverhaving a main weight and an auxiliary weight, which are adapted tocounterbalance one another and which are held in stability under certainconditions, which when they are changed destroys the equilibrium of thepivoted lever, which acts in the manner of a scalebeam to automaticallyopen an air-valve to restore the equilibrium, as will be described morefully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a sectional view of mydevice as socured to a water-main section, while Fig. 2 shows amodification of my device.

To an upward projection A of an ordinary pipe system I secure a housingA, comprising the main chamber 2 and the extension 1, at or near the endof which I provide an escapeopening 3 and a little beyond the same ashaft 7, preferably passing transversely through this extension 1, whichmay be circular in cross-section or of any other suitable confor=mation. So,also,maythechamber2be round,

square, or ofany other shape in outline. At.

a point preferably near the center and held within the main chamber 2 isa shaft 8, which shaft in turn gives support to the pivoted lever 9,fixed to the shaft, allowing a vibrating movement. This pivoted lever 9has two seatings, one at each end, within which are held the trunnions11 and 13, the former forming part of the hanger 12 and the latter apart of the depending bar 14. In the arrangement ver 9, the dependingweight 15, and the depending main-weight chamber 0, which is in the formof a vessel, would comprise the main .features of my invention.

Under ordinary conditions the fluid m is permitted to press upward intothe chamber a 2 a suitable distance, so that the auxiliary weight 15would be entirely submerged, while but approximatel half of the mainweight is submerged. nder these conditions the pivoted lever 9, whichacts as a lever, is supposed to be in a horizontal position. Now shouldthe air accumulate within the chambers 1 and 2 the elevation of thewater-line would be gradually forced downward and destroy theequilibrium of the two counterbalanced weights, for as the water-linereceded the partially-submerged main-weight chamber would increase inweight relatively to raise the auxiliary weight 15. As soon as theliquid were allowed to reenter the chamber2 the main-weight chamber'cwould again be carried up to reestablish the equilibrium. This action oftwo counterbalanced weights, one wholly and one partially submerged, isutilized to actuate a valve.

Extending from the shaft 7 is a second lever in the form of a valve-beam10, which is provided with a slot I), through which works a pin a,forming part of the hanger 12, and secured to the top and below theescape-opening 3 is a valve 16, which 'instrumentalities are so arrangedthat when the main-weight chamber 0 is being forced upward, in whichcondition the lever 9 is in a horizontal position, and the second lever10 is also in a horizontal position and is tightly forcing the valve 16against the escape-opening.

Now should at any time the air accumulate within the chamber 2, asdescribed, to force downward the water-level, and so cause a receding ofthe main-weight chamber 0 to destroy its equilibrium,the lever 10 wouldalso be carried downward by means of the hanger to allow an instantescape of the air within the chambers 1 and 2. This would at once causean upward rush of the waters, which would rise a little above themetacenter of the weight-chamber c and so hold the same under tension,as it were, to permit a tight connection and impact between the valve 16and the escape-openingB.

Tomake a test as to the operativeness of the device, the inspectorsimply depresses the stem 20, working in the stuffing-box 21, so as todepress the chamber 0. The stem must be drawn up ward to permit theoperation of the levers.

To prevent a partial vacuum forming in the pipes, I provide an ordinarycollapse-valve comprising the disks 6, the tension of which is adjustedby means of the headed stem 5, forced upward by means of an ordinarycoilspring 2, the top I5 of the "essel being provided with suitableescape-openings.

The device is exceedingly simple of construction and after once beingproperly set needs practically no readjusting.

The device may be simplified and the weights 0 be held in properposition by means of a stem 18, referring now to Fig. 2, which would besecured to the main-weight chamber c, which above would becounterbalanced by means of a spring 2, adjusted by means of the head17, threading upon the stem 18. In this connection the scale-beam 9 andthe auxiliary weight would be dispensed with.

In referring to Fig. 1 the main housing A at a suitable point isprovided with a reliefvalve K, secured by suitable screws 80, which isused to allow air in large volumes to escape during the process offilling the main with water. This valve is an ordinary valve and underordinary conditions is closed and is not an essential part of myinvention, it simply being opened when the mains are filled tofacilitate the escape of the air in the main.

Now, having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a partially-liquidfilled housing, of a leverpivoted within said housing, a submerged weight extending from one endof said lever, a chamber extending from the remaining end of said leverand being partially immersed in said liquid, a second lever pivotallyheld within said housing and movably connected to saidpartially-immersed chamber and an air-relief valve secured to saidsecond lever as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a partially-liquidfilled housing of a leverpositioned within said housing a weight extending from one end of saidlever and being immersed in said liquid, a chamber extending from theremaining end of said lever and being partially immersed in said liquid,a second lever within said housing, an air-relief valve connected to andoperated by said second lever, said second lever being connected to andoperated by said partially-immersed chamber and means to mechanicallyoperate said levers, from without, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with a partially-liquid housing of a collapsing valvewithin said housing, a lever pivotally supported within said housing, asubmerged weight extending from one end of said lever, a chamberextending from the remaining end of said lever and being partiallyimmersed in said liquid, a second lever pivotally held within saidhousing and movably connected with said chamber and an air-relief valvesecured to said second lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE T. PRINCE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. Suns, ANE M. ELLIJER.

